after-hours
adjective
occurring, engaged in, or operating after the normal or legal closing time for business.
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after hours
after hoursAfter normal working hours, after closing time; also, after legal or established opening hours. For example, I haven't time while the shop is open, but I can see you after hours, or The restaurant employees sometimes stayed for a meal after hours. This term originally referred to laws governing business hours. It also gave rise to the term after-hours club, for a drinking club that remained open later than similar establishments. [Mid-1800s]
after-hours
American
[af-ter-ouuhrz, -ou-erz, ahf-]
/ ˈæf tərˈaʊərz, -ˈaʊ ərz, ˈɑf- /
adjective
after hours
Idioms
Usage
What does after-hours mean? After-hours describes something that happens after normal or legal hours of operation for a business or service, as in The after-hours party starts as soon as the bar closes for the night. After-hours can describe something that happens after its normal time, such as a business meeting that takes place after the close of the business day. In the US, many business offices close at 5 pm. A meeting that took place at 7 pm, for example, would be an after-hours meeting. After-hours can also describe something that happens after the allotted time. It’s generally used in situations in which something can be conducted after a business or program has ended and will still be honored. This use is most often used in reference to the stock market and investing, such as in the phrase after-hours trading. The New York Stock Exchange, for example, is only open from 9:30 am to 4 pm, but trading can be conducted at any time of the day. Finally, after-hours can simply describe something that happens late at night. You might find a restaurant that serves an after-hours breakfast, meaning they serve breakfast foods late at night, especially after midnight. Example: Joanie tried after-hours trading but found that she made more money during regular trading hours.
Etymology
Origin of after-hours
First recorded in 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Generac shares rose more than 34% in the after-hours session Wednesday, after ending the regular trading day up less than 0.1%.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Historian Imogen Willetts explores four centuries of after-hours history in her new book “Up All Night,” proving L.A.’s 2000s party era was a serious cultural force.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Adobe shares were down more than 2% in after-hours action on Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
The stock was down 19% in after-hours trading.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
With the apartment as our headquarters, I gradually got Reginald introduced around to Creole Bill’s, and other Harlem after-hours spots.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Shares were tumbling 16.2% after hours on Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
To make matters worse, and to shed an even more unflattering light on the club's strategy and operation, it all came after hours after Everton had sanctioned striker Beto's £15.5m move to Fiorentina.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
That’s likely the reason why shares are volatile after hours, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Meta shares fell up to 10% after hours as Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg didn't provide details on plans to monetize enterprise AI tools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
He was dependable and strong, and storekeepers often paid him a few dollars to move boxes or clean up after hours.
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
